Fractional CO2 Versus Radiofrequency as Hair Regrowth Enhancers for Female Androgenic Alopecia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

September 2025 in “ Dermatologic Surgery ”

Rana F. Hilal, Eman Shaarawy, N. S. Ahmed, Solwan Ibrahim El-Samanoudy

Fractional CO2 Fractional Microneedling Radiofrequency minoxidil androgenic alopecia trichoscopic hair counts hair density FCO2 FMRF Rogaine female pattern hair loss

TLDR Combining radiofrequency with minoxidil is more effective for hair regrowth in women than using CO2 with minoxidil.

This randomized controlled trial investigated the efficacy and safety of combining Fractional CO2 (FCO2) and Fractional Microneedling Radiofrequency (FMRF) with topical minoxidil 5% for treating female androgenic alopecia (AGA) in 30 patients. The study found that both FCO2 and FMRF, when combined with minoxidil, significantly increased trichoscopic hair counts and density. However, the combination of minoxidil and FMRF resulted in a significantly greater increase in hair counts and density compared to minoxidil with FCO2 or minoxidil alone. The study concludes that FMRF combined with minoxidil may offer higher efficacy and tolerability for female AGA treatment.

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